[BillBradley]

It's pretty simple to evaluate KP's performance the past two years. Looking solely at how the team has played, no AD would conclude that Kate is the right person for this job. The reasons for Donahoe to keep her would be:
1) He is convinced that she is through the "learning curve" and going forward she will be a great coach for us.
2) He feels like Stanford owes it to her to keep her. She is a great representative of the university (true) and has given decades of her life to the program. 

My take...#1 is really a reach. Possible, sure, but in my mind it's a bridge too far. For #2, we do owe her a lot. But I don't think you express that gratitude by risking the fate of the program. Show the gratitude with a great package and a heartfelt thank you.

Scott Rueck would be my choice.

given Tara is still a special advisor to the AD he might be a little less likely to fire Paye if she did not support the decision....

Yeah, that's a good point.

[BillBradley]

It's pretty simple to evaluate KP's performance the past two years. Looking solely at how the team has played, no AD would conclude that Kate is the right person for this job. The reasons for Donahoe to keep her would be:
1) He is convinced that she is through the "learning curve" and going forward she will be a great coach for us.
2) He feels like Stanford owes it to her to keep her. She is a great representative of the university (true) and has given decades of her life to the program. 

My take...#1 is really a reach. Possible, sure, but in my mind it's a bridge too far. For #2, we do owe her a lot. But I don't think you express that gratitude by risking the fate of the program. Show the gratitude with a great package and a heartfelt thank you.

Scott Rueck would be my choice.

given Tara is still a special advisor to the AD he might be a little less likely to fire Paye if she did not support the decision....

Yeah, that's a good point.